Page 27

I mmy opened her eyes, grumbling in displeasure as bright light tried to stab her eyeballs. “Turn the lights off. I wanna go back to sleep.”

“That’s not happening,” a stern voice replied.

She glared up at the person. “You’re mean.”

“Can be.”

“No can about it. Immy wants to sleep.”

“Immy can’t sleep. Or Tobias is gonna have to call the doctor.”

“Tobias can do what he wants.”

“Oh, yeah? So Tobias can spank your ass for going outside in the dark without him?”

Her eyes shot wide open and she sat up straight, the top of her head slamming into his chin.

“Holy shit.”

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” She attempted to scramble off his lap, but he held onto her. “Let me go! I’ll get some ice. Shoot! I’m so sorry!”

“Immy, calm down. Hey, calm down,” he told her, turning her so she straddled his lap.

Okay, this position felt too good. She should really get off his lap. But when she tried to move, he grasped hold of her hips.

“Stay.”

She gulped at the dominance in that one word. Tobias wasn’t a guy who shoved his dominance down your throat. But when he said something, he meant it.

One hand reached for her chin, holding her face in place. “Listen.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

“My chin is fine. What is not fine is you breaking the rules and running outside, then getting so worked up that you faint.”

Oh. Right.

Yeah. That.

“Want to explain that to me.” It was a demand, not a question.

And now that she was paying more attention, she could see that he really didn’t look that happy. In fact, he kind of looked like he’d rather be on his own.

Soooo . . . Immy should probably leave him alone.

“Not really,” she whispered.

He raised an eyebrow. “Not really?”

“Yeah. Not really.”

“You know it wasn’t a question.”

“I got that impression. But I chose to think of it as a question.”

“No thinking. Talk.”

“That’s rude,” she muttered.

“Immy. Talk. Now.”

“Or what? You’re going to spank me?”

Shoot. She shouldn’t have brought up the whole spanking thing.

Idiot.

Anyone would think that you want a spanking . . .

Uh-oh.

Did she? Maybe. She’d always loved reading stories with spanking in them. Well, once they’d gotten away from the cult and she’d been free to choose her own reading material.

That she’d still had to hide from her parents.

“Don’t tempt me, Little girl.”

Darn it, Immy.

You do not like him talking to you like that. You do not.

You are in love with Jenner. Why are you betraying him like this?

Except it was only a betrayal if she was actually involved with Jenner. Which she wasn’t. It was an entirely one-sided relationship.

You know, since Jenner didn’t even know there was a relationship.

You need to move on, Immy.

“You don’t have the right to spank me.”

“Do I look like the sort of man who cares about that?”

“So you’d force me?” And why wasn’t she more scared? In fact, why wasn’t she yelling for help? Abe and Isaiah were somewhere in the house and here she was, letting this man threaten to spank her.

Because you like it.

You freak.

“Wouldn’t ever force you to do anything.”

Oh. So she wasn’t going over his lap.

Well . . . that was good.

Uh-huh. Yep. Good.

Darn it. She couldn’t even fool herself right now.

“But I don’t think I’d have to force you.” He gave her a knowing look.

Oh, heck.

“I think I’m in trouble here.”

“In more ways than one.” He leaned into her face, his lips inches from hers. She could see the flecks of green in his hazel-colored eyes.

They were beautiful.

“You have such pretty eyes.”

Those eyes widened. “Immy. Focus.”

But she didn’t want to. She just wanted to stare at his pretty eyes.

“You’re in trouble.”

Her lower lip started to slide out.

“And that won’t work on me.”

“What won’t work on you?” she asked.

“That pout. That look. Those eyes. What you use on all of them won’t work on me.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” What pout? What look? What eyes?

He grunted. “Maybe you don’t. But I do. And it won’t work. Talk. Now. Or I’m gonna assume you want that spanking. You don’t have to be naughty to get spanked. Anytime you want it, you can just ask.”

“I don’t want it!” she cried.

“No lying!” His hand smacked down on her ass.

She froze.

He did not.

He really did not.

But he had. Her stinging butt cheek was proof of that. But the crazy thing was the way the pain morphed into heat and then into pleasure.

It did strange things to her.

“I . . . I have to go,” she said, struggling to get free of his hold.

She raced out of the room and toward the stairs, ignoring the way he called out to her.

She tripped over one of the stairs, slamming her shin against the edge. A cry of pain escaped her.

And that happened to be just at the same time that Jenner stepped into the foyer. Where had he come from? Shouldn’t he be on his date?

Had she not experienced enough humiliation?

“Immy! What happened? How did you trip? Baby, are you hurt?” Jenner rushed up the stairs to kneel next to her. “Show me your leg.”

“I’m fine,” she groaned as she attempted to stand.

But she was feeling light-headed again.

Crap. She began crawling up the stairs like an idiot.

“Immy, what are you doing?” Jenner demanded.

“Going to bed.” Where she was going to crawl under the covers and hide forever.

“But why are you crawling up the stairs?” Jenner asked. “What the fuck is going on?”

She was too tired to tell him that he owed the swear jar.

Screw the swear jar.

Oh. God.

Listen to her. Now she was swearing!

Well, she was humiliated. She’d fainted because she was scared of the dark and she’d stupidly thought someone was outside watching her. Then she’d been spanked and ran off. Only to fall on the stairs in front of the two men she was attracted to.

Just. Awesome.

“I’m fine. Just everyone go away!”

“Immy, let me help you,” Jenner said. “You can’t crawl up the stairs.”

Suddenly, she was in the air. She let out a cry as she was carried up the stairs. To her shock, it was Tobias carrying her.

“Put me down.”

He stared down at her for a moment. “Will put you down when you’re in your room. But not gonna let you get hurt again.”

“I just slipped. I’m fine. It doesn’t even hurt,” she lied.

“What’s going on? Immy? Did Tobias do something?” Jenner demanded, following them into her bedroom.

Just great. Now they were both in her bedroom.

This was her worst nightmare . . . or maybe that really hot, sexy dream she’d had the other night.

No, no, no!

Do not think about that. You are not thinking about sexy dreams.

“Of course not,” Immy told Jenner.

She really hoped he couldn’t tell that she was lying. The way Tobias was holding her meant she couldn’t squirm and give herself away. But the suspicious look Jenner gave her told her that she was hoping in vain.

Tobias set her down on the bed, then he reached for her cloak.

Which she’d forgotten that she was wearing.

Also embarrassing.

“What are you doing?” she cried, brushing his hands away.

“Taking this off. Put your hands down.”

His face was so stern that she found herself doing what he commanded. She couldn’t see a hint of his usual amusement or softness when he generally talked to her. He undid the cloak and drew it away, off her shoulders and legs.

Then he crouched and grabbed hold of her calf. Immy could still feel a throbbing in her bottom from where he’d smacked her. And now he was touching her bare skin.

In front of Jenner.

It was almost too much.

“Is her leg all right?” Jenner asked, peering over Tobias’s shoulder.

“Looks red and sore,” Tobias replied. “Skin’s not broken. Get some ice.”

“Maybe you should get the ice,” Jenner suggested, giving Tobias a sharp look.

Tobias just stared back at him. The tension between them was enough to make her feel nauseous.

“I’ll get the ice,” she exclaimed.

“You will not,” Tobias snapped.

“Stay there,” Jenner said at the same time.

Sheesh. They didn’t have to be quite so bossy. Or grouchy.

“Just trying to help,” she muttered.

“No helping. You’re the one who is injured,” Jenner said.

“I’m not injured. It’s just a bit of a bruise.”

“I’ll get the ice,” Tobias stated, standing.

He headed out of the room and Immy’s shoulders drooped. She was such an idiot. Why had she run off like that? So he’d slapped her ass. So what? It wasn’t like she hadn’t dreamed of someone doing that to her for years.

It was only . . . she’d thought Jenner would be the one to do it.

And now everything was all messed up in her head.

She was messed up.

“Immy? Are you all right? Did Tobias do something to you? You can tell me,” Jenner said, crouching in front of her. “I’ll take care of it if he did.”

Lord, he was beautiful.

It honestly stole her breath.

“He didn’t do anything,” she said honestly. “If anything, I’m the one behaving badly toward him.”

Jenner frowned. “I doubt that.”

“It’s true. I said something that wasn’t nice and then I ran after him . . . outside.”

Concern filled his face. “Baby, into the dark?”

She nodded. To her shock, tears dripped down her cheeks. “S-sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Jenner sat on the bed next to her and lifted her into his lap. “Hey, hey now. Everything is okay. But what happened?”

“I . . . I think I fainted.”

“You think you fainted?” he repeated. “Is your fear getting worse?”

“I don’t know. Maybe? I couldn’t breathe and I just .

. . everything went dark. Then I woke up in the living room with him and I wouldn’t tell him why I went outside.

And . . . I don’t know, I just ended up running out of the room because I was embarrassed and then I slipped because I’m wearing this stupid cloak.

Another reason I should be embarrassed. What kind of idiot runs around in a cloak, casting stupid spells in her secret room with a fake wand? Me! I’m that dumb idiot.”

“Immy!” Jenner said, sounding shocked. “Stop that. You can’t talk about yourself like that.”

“I can. Who faints from going outside in the dark? Me! The idiot!”

“Immy.” Tobias’s firm voice as he walked into the room shocked her into silence.